


Next Time

by allineedisaquill



Series: The World In Colour - Missing/Deleted Scenes [1]
Category: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Genre: Deleted Scenes, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Gen, Missing Scene, Pining, Pre-Slash, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:55:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24667993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allineedisaquill/pseuds/allineedisaquill
Summary: The Captain returns home to an inquisitive Rosie after having tea with Pat.Missing/deleted scene set after "The World In Colour" Chapter 2: We All Need Someone To Stay.
Relationships: The Captain (Ghosts TV 2019) & Original Female Character(s), The Captain/Pat (Ghosts TV 2019)
Series: The World In Colour - Missing/Deleted Scenes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1783588
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	Next Time

**Author's Note:**

> The first in a series of missing/deleted scenes from the main fic! Sometimes there are moments I write that end up either being cut or just not slotting seamlessly into the story, so I decided to share them here. Of course, go and read "The World In Colour" first otherwise these won't make much sense!

The Captain’s smile didn’t leave his face for the entire drive back from Pat’s flat. He could barely contain the brimming, hopeful happiness that swelled in his chest and refused, rather stubbornly, to leave.

It had been the most interesting day he’d had in a long time, and Pat… Well, Pat was delightful. Short, yes, and a little naive - but there was a strength to him, something admirable and familiar, and he made a damn good cup of tea to boot.

He practically floated home.

“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Rosie asked with a curious look, squinting her eyes in suspicion at her brother. She had her legs kicked up on the sofa with Hannah sitting between them. Her attempts to put her daughter’s hair into plaits had so far failed miserably. Some new cartoon the Captain didn’t recognise was playing in the background, a noise he’d grown used to where it had once rather irritated him.

“Nothing, nothing,” the Captain answered quickly.

Rosie scoffed. “Come off it. You’ve been humming to yourself since you got in. You’ll be dancing while you do the dishes, next.”

“Ha ha,” came his dry, mocking reply as he put the last of the plates and cups away in the cupboard. 

Meanwhile, Rosie tried and failed another plait before she gave up with a sigh.

Under her hands, Hannah struggled and freed herself with a huff. “Uncle Ronnie knows how to do it,” she insisted grumpily, shaking out her blonde curls and folding her arms crossly. Her little face scrunched up, lips a comical pout.

“I tried, love,” Rosie said with a laugh. “Ronnie, you’re wanted.”

“Didn’t take long,” he teased, drying his hands quickly on a tea towel.

Hannah brightened when Rosie switched places with him. He got to work straight away, separating her hair as neatly as he could before forming them into tight plaits. He finished each one off with her favourite elastic ties, thin and covered in rainbow stripes.

Rosie watched them both with a smile from the opposite end of the sofa, her chin rested in her hand. “So come on, then. How did the thing with the Scouts go?” She asked.

“Fine,” the Captain said, before his moustache twitched and he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Though I did have to cut the leader out of the assault course.”

“You did _what?_ ” Rosie asked with a bemused laugh.

He shook his head. “Poor man got stuck after the kids practically forced him to demonstrate it.”

Her head was thrown back with a bubbly, infectious laughter. “I bet he doesn’t live that one down in a hurry,” she said. “What’s his name, anyway?”

The Captain was cast into thought, his hands stilled for a moment. He remembered how Pat had gotten quite cross with him only to apologise, and then the sheer panic when he’d gotten the phone call. Then there was their conversation in his living room, a discussion of happiness much deeper than anything the Captain could have predicted for the day. To say he had only met him that day, the Captain had seen a considerable range of emotions from the younger man. It was almost as impressive as it was concerning.

He had come out, too. He had told a man he’d just met that he was gay, something he had never done before. It usually took him a while to warm up to anyone that much, and that was if he even got that far. Most people took an instant dislike to his prickly exterior and never gave him a chance beyond it.

The innate trust he felt towards Pat - and the trust he was shown in return without question - was a little scary. It was also _thrilling._ To say he’d had his curiosity piqued was the understatement of the century.

“Pat,” he answered finally, the name soft on his tongue. “And no, he wasn’t best pleased, as you can imagine, and _then_ I had to take him to hospital.”

Rosie’s eyes widened. “Christ, why? Did you cut off his whole leg? Poor Pat!”

“No, nothing like that,” the Captain said, rolling his eyes as he finished the last part of his niece’s hair. 

“Have you done?” Hannah cut in, bouncing on the spot and clearly eager to run off and do something else. She ran a hand over her hair with a toothy grin.

The Captain patted her back. “All done.”

She was up in an instant, skipping off towards the stairs. Rosie shook her head and stretched for the remote on the coffee table, turning off the TV.

“Anyway, you were saying,” she said, curling her feet back under her.

“Yes. Pat’s, ah, his ex-wife...she’d gone into labour. He had no means of transport, so naturally I offered to take him.” 

“Wow.” She let out a low whistle. “Sounds complicated. Was he okay?”

He nodded. “Yes, I think so. He was when I left his flat, at any rate.” He felt her eyes on him almost immediately. “We had tea; he wanted to thank me.”

“So that’s where you were most of the afternoon,” she realised, and at his indignant look, added, “Well, it’s nice to see you in a good mood, anyway.” Her smile only widened when he elected to ignore the knowing tone to her voice. “Next time you see Pat, say hello from me.”

The Captain never much cared for her teasing and he made a noise in the back of his throat. Just like Hannah, he got up himself, intent on finding something else to do other than be the subject of his sister’s well-intentioned scrutiny.

Her teasing was all well and good, but Rosie was unaware that he didn’t even know if he _would_ see Pat again. He still had the man’s number in his call history; after all, it had been Pat who had contacted him to see about him taking the small job in the first place, once a few formal emails had been exchanged.

As tempting as that thought was, the Captain knew he wouldn’t stoop to unprofessionalism. He had his dignity to maintain as well as his image.

 _Next time,_ he thought regretfully.

He could only hope there would be one.


End file.
